Threaded ball seat retainer block



Sept. 16, 1969 J. E. PARKER THREADED BALL SEAT RETAINER BLOCK Original Filed Feb. 24, 1964 INVENTOR. JAMES E. PARKER BY 4 ZQWB W AT TORNEYS United States Patent Int. Cl. 1523b 31/30 U.S. Cl. 279-30 2 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A retainer block having a tool socket formed therein, a tool slidably mounted in the tool socket, a round hole formed in the retainer block and having the lower end thereof intersecting said tool socket through a communicating opening, a releasable ball locking means operatively mounted in said round hole and extended through said opening and engaged with said tool for releasably holding the tool in said tool socket, a threaded hole formed in said retainer block in a position spaced apart from said tool socket and extended upwardly inward from the lower end thereof into communication with said round hole at a position below said releasable ball locking means, and a threaded means adapted to be threadably mounted in said threaded hole to engage said ball locking means and release it from locking engagement with said tool and hold it in a released position.

This is a continuation of application Ser. No. 346,836, filed Feb. 24, 1964, and now abandoned.

This invention relates generally to the construction of metal punching and forming tools adapted for use upon punch presses and the like, and more particularly to a novel and improved tool retainer construction which is provided with means for quickly removing a tool from a locked position in the tool retainer construction.

The construction of the present invention is operable with various forms of tool retainers having an automatic means for locking a punch or die in position in a tool retainer block, as for example, the automatic ball locking means shown in US. Patent No. 2,662,773.

The prior art tool retainers having automatic means for locking a punch or die in position in a retainer block as shown in the aforementioned patent are adapted to permit quick and easy mounting of these tool constructions in a punch press, and also to permit quick and easy re moval and interchangeability advantages. However, if a punch or die breaks after it has been mounted inside the Working structure of a punch press, much time is required to disassemble the tool retainer from the punch press in order to get a punch out of the retainer block. This is especially so when the retainer block has once been mounted behind the stripper plate of the punch press. It is a common occurrence in such a condition to have a punch or other tool break and become stuck in its mounting bore in the tool retainer block, despite the fact that automatic means for locking the same in the bore is released. The removal of such a broken punch or the like is a costly and time consuming operation under the aforementioned circumstances. Accordingly, it is an important object of the present invention to provide a novel and improved construction for metal forming and punching tools wherein meas is provided for automatically ejecting a punch or tool from its mounting bore in a retainer block when the locking means is released and without removing the tool mounting structure from a punch press, or the like.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a metal punching and forming tool retainer construction which includes means for automatically ejecting a punch ICC or the like in a minimum of time from its retainer block when it is desired to replace or interchange the punch.

It is still another object of the present invention to provide a novel and improved retainer construction for metal punching and forming tools which is simple and compact in construction, economical of manufacture, and efficient in operation.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a novel and improved metal punching and forming tool retainer construction which is provided with automatic means for locking a punch or die in position in a tool retainer, and means for releasing the automatic locking means and forcing the punch or tool out of the retainer by the use of fluid under pressure.

It is still a further object to provide a novel and improved tool retainer block having a threaded release hole for mounting a tool release and ejection means.

Other objects, features and advantages of this invention will be apparent from the following detailed description, appended claims, and accompanying drawing.

In the drawing:

FIG. 1 is an elevational sectional view of a metal punch retainer construction made in accordance with the principles of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an elevational sectional view similar to FIG. 1, but showing the punch locking means moved to the released position to permit removal of the punch;

FIG. 3 is a bottom plan view of the structure illustrated in FIG. 2, taken along the line 33 thereof and looking in the direction of the arrows;

FIG. 4 is an elevational sectional view similar to FIG. 1, but showing a second embodiment of the invention incorporating the use of fluid pressure means for ejecting the punch; and

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary elevational view of a conventional punch of the type which may be removed from a tool retainer, which is made in accordance with the principles of the present invention.

Referring now to the drawing and in particular to FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, the reference numeral 10 generally designates a retainer block which is provided with the usual backing plate, generally indicated by the numeral 11, and which is adapted to be secured to the head of a press (not shown). The backing plate 11 is adapted to be secured to the punch retainer block 10 by any suitable means, as by means of a plurality of screws indicated by the numeral 12. The retainer block 10 is provided with a cylindrical tool socket 13, and with an angularly disposed cylindrical hole or bore 18 which partially intersects the socket 13, as more fully described hereinafter.

The numeral 15 generally indicates a conventional punch having a circular shank 14 which is adapted to be seated in the socket 13. It will be understood that the tool 15 is merely illustrative and that the invention is equally applicable to the removal of dies, tools and other devices which are secured in place in a retainer block in the manner shown in the drawing or by any other equivalent means.

Operatively mounted in the angular hole 18 is a suitable automatic locking means which includes the retainer ball 17. The automatic locking means further includes a helical compression spring 22 which is disposed above the ball 17 in the hole 18, and which is adapted to normally urge the ball 17 downwardly. The lower end of the angular hole 18 is provided with an opening along the side thereof, indicated by the numeral 19, which intersects with the tool socket 13. The spring 22 urges the ball 17 into the opening 19 and into locking engagement with the recess or notch 16 formed in the side of the cylindrical portion 14 of the tool 15. Due to the shape of the intersection of the hole 19 and the socket 13, the ball 17 can- 3 not escape from the hole 18. The upper end of the spring 22 is indicated by the numeral 23 and it is adapted to be extended into the hole 24 formed in the retainer block so as to retain the spring 22 in place. It will be seen that the retainer hole 24 is closed at the inner end thereof and communicates only with the angular hole 18.

The lower end wall of the angular hole 18 is indicated by the numeral 20. A hole 21 is formed in the lower exposed face of the retainer block 10 and it is substantially parallel to the socket hole 13. The hole 21 extends through the bottom end wall of the hole 18. The hole 21 is threaded so as to permit a threaded lock release means to be operatively mounted therein.

As shown in FIG. 1, the inner end of the socket 13 communicates with the inner end of the angular hole 18 by means of the passageway 25. The inner end of the tool 15 is provided with the usual chamfered or relieved end 26.

In use, if the tool 15 breaks while it is mounted in a punch press, the threaded release rod 27 would be threadably mounted in the hole 21 and threaded inwardly. It will be seen that continued inward movement of the threaded rod 27 will engage the end of the rod 27 against the ball 17 so as to move it upwardly to the released position shown in FIG. 2, whereby the punch 15 may be removed from the retainer block 10.

FIG. 4 shows a second embodiment of the invention wherein a fluid pressure conduit 30 is connected threadably to the tool retainer block 10 for ejecting a tool 15 by means of a fluid pressure. The pressure conduit 30 is provided with a reduced threaded tubular connector portion 28 having a passage 29 formed therethrough, and which is adapted to be mounted threadably in the threaded hole 21 in the retainer block 10. The connector portion 28 would be threaded inwardly into engagement with the ball 17 to move it from the dotted line position 31 to the solid line position shown in FIG. 4 to release the punch 15. Hydraulic fluid under pressure, or air under pressure, may then be inserted through the passage 29 and into the angular hole 18. The inner end of passage 29 is not blocked by engagement with ball 17, but to insure suiticient communication with the hole 18, the inner end of connector 28 may be provided with transverse holes 32. The fluid under pressure then continues upwardly around the ball 17 and through the angular hole 18, and thence through the passage 25 and around the chamfered end 26 of the punch 15. The fluid under pressure then acts on the upper end of the punch 15, and functions to eject the same in a quick and efiicient manner. It will be seen that the angular hole 18 and the passage 25 form an air tight conduit to the upper end of the punch 15 for supplying pressure fluid at that position for ejection purposes. It will be understood that any fluid under pressure may be used. It will also be understood that any amount of pressure can be applied by means of the structure shown in FIG. 4 for ejecting the punch 15.

It will be seen that by providing the tool retainer block 10 with the threaded hole 21, that the punch locking means may be released by the screw means 27, or by the threaded connector portion 28 followed by fluid pressure means inserted through the conduit 30. The present invention eliminates the need for disassembling the tool construction when it is mounted on a punch press and there is need for removing the tool construction for repair purposes or the like. The invention thus provides big savings in down time and labor for tool removing and replacing purposes.

A typical example of the savings in time and labor provided by use of the retainer block of the present invention would be in the following described situation which occurs many times in the stamping industry. In heavy duty stamping operations the amount of pressure exerted on the point of a punch in stripping it out of the hole in a workpiece after it pierces the hole, also puts a great deal of pressure on the retainer ball of the ball locking means in the retainer block. Because of this pressure, in many instances the ball becomes wedged between the punch and the back of the ball hole in the retainer block, and it is difficult to get the ball unwedged if the punch breaks or when it becomes necessary to replace the punch. Heretofore, in many cases where the ball became wedged because of such action, it was necessary to remove the retainer block in order to unwedge the ball and replace the punch. It will be seen that by employing a retainer block made in accordance with the principles of the present invention with the threaded hole 21, that the threaded member 27 may be used as a jack to unwedge the ball without the necessity of removing the retainer block.

Still another advantage of applicants retainer block structure is apparent in the following example. In practice, the retainer block construction with the backing plate is supplied as a commercial unit to a company building up a piercing die or a punching die assembly or the like. The retainer block is ready to be mounted and located on a press upper die shoe. Heretofore in aligning the retainer block on the die shoe it was necessary to remove the backing plate and the retainer block itself was mounted on the die shoe for aligning the punch or tool with the die button on the press lower die shoe. When the backing plate is removed for this aligning action, the retain ball and spring is removed so that the worker can slide the punch or tool upwardly and downwardly in the socket in the retainer block to align the punch or tool with the die button held in the lower die shoe. After the punch or tool has been aligned, the retainer screw holes and dowel holes are drilled for locating the retainer block on the upper die shoe. After the aligning procedure with the retainer block is completed, the retainer block is removed and the backing plate is again mounted between the retainer block and the upper die shoe, and the spring and ball lock are again inserted in the retainer block. It will be understood that the backing plate is ground separate from the retainer block, and obviously, when the backing plate is again inserted in its position between the retainer block and the shoe after the aligning operation, it is possible for the punch to be moved slightly out of position. Sometimes it only takes about one-half of a thousandths of an inch dislocation of the punch to create a condition which results in breakage in a later punching operation when the die is in production. With the applicants improved retainer block, it is not necessary to remove the backing plate to remove the spring and ball look so that the worker can move the punch upwardly and downwardly in the socket for aligning it with the button on the lower die shoe. It is only necessary to thread the threaded member 27 inwardly so as to move the ball 17 upwardly to the unlocked position shown in FIG. 4, whereby the ball 17 will stay in that position and permit the worker to slide the punch freely upward and downward for the aligning of the punch with the button in a quick and efiicient manner. The screw and dowel holes may then be made and the retainer block secured immediately in position thereby resulting in large savings of time and labor, and downtime due to breakage of tools caused by misalignment of the tool because of the reasons described above. It will be seen that locating a punch in relation to a die button is extremely important in this art, and in the case of a large die, the applicants structure provides a tremendous advantage in savings of labor and time. This advantage is multiplied in large dies which sometimes have as many as twenty-five or thirty-retainer 'blocks carrying a particular punch. The removing of the backing plates for all these retainer blocks and the chances of losing the balls or springs is eliminated with the use of the applicants improved retainer block structure. A dirt problem is also eliminated because the springs and balls when removed from the retainer block are subject to becoming dirty and gritty, which condition causes a problem later on after they have again been inserted in the retainer block.

While it will be apparent that the preferred embodiments of the invention herein disclosed are well calculated to fulfill the objects above stated, it will be appreciated that the invention is susceptible to modification, variation and change without departing from the proper scope or fair meaning of the subjoined claims.

What I claim is:

1. In a tool construction, the combination comprising: a retainer block; a tool socket formed in said retainer block and extended inwardly from the lower end of the retainer block; a backing plate mounted on the upper end of the retainer block to enclose the inner end of the tool socket; a tool slidably mounted in said tool socket; a round hole formed in said retainer block; the lower end of said round hole intersecting said tool socket through a communicating opening; a releasable ball locking means operatively mounted in said round hole and extended through said opening and engaged with said tool for releasably holding the same in said tool socket; a threaded hole formed in said retainer block in a position spaced apart from said tool socket and extended upwardly inward from the lower end thereof into communication with said round hole at a position below said releasable ball locking means; a threaded means adapted to be threada'bly mounted in said threaded hole to engage said ball locking means and release it from locking engagement with said tool and to hold it in a released position; said threaded means for engaging and releasing said ball lock- 2. The tool construction as defined in claim 1, wherein:

said retainer block is provided with a passage communieating the upper end of the tool socket with said round hole to conduct the pressure fluid from the round hole to a position behind said tool to engage the tool and eject it from the tool socket after the "ball locking means is released by the threaded fitting from locking engagement with the tool.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,574,910 11/1951 Chaney 279-76 2,662,773 12/1953 Parsons 279- FOREIGN PATENTS 464,937 5/1950 Canada.

ROBERT C. RIORDON, Primary Examiner 

